LVCF Reflections Paper | 50th Anniversary Spark Grants and the Continuing Needs in the Lehigh Valley

Food and Housing Access
THE CONTEXT
They are the basics of life and in the Lehigh Valley, not always as available as one might commonly
believe. Food and housing are daily challenges for thousands of individuals living in Northampton
and Lehigh counties and the struggles to secure these essentials consume much of the time and effort
of many local residents.
Food insecurity is defined as the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of
affordable nutritious food. Approximately 1 in 10 residents of the Lehigh Valley live under such
conditions. For local children, food insecurity is even more prevalent with 1 in 3 children in the
Valley regularly dealing with hunger related conditions.
While access to quality food items is highly related to the economic limitations of local residents,
the dynamics of food insecurity in the Lehigh Valley are quite complex. One major contributor
to the prominence of food insecurity within Lehigh and Northampton counties is the presence
of “food deserts” within the region. A food desert is a geographic area where residents’ access to
affordable, healthy food options such as fresh fruits and vegetables is very limited or missing due to
the absence of grocery stores within convenient traveling distance. According to the United Way of
the Greater Lehigh Valley, as of 2016, there were eight food deserts in the region and 20 additional
neighborhoods where residents needed to travel over half a mile to a grocery store. For individuals
without affordable or reliable transportation, the distance to grocery stores often limits food options
to costly convenient stores or fast food restaurants.
The significant challenges for many Lehigh Valley residents that are posed by food insecurity are
exacerbated by struggles in finding affordable quality housing. While many aspects of the housing
market such as home values and new housing construction have improved in the wake of the
Great Recession, the ability of a significant portion of the local population to acquire and maintain
adequate housing remains very limited.
The affordable housing challenges that are present in the Lehigh Valley have contributed to the
substantial number of local residents that are living in substandard housing. According to the
United States Census Bureau, over 1 out of 3 housing units that are occupied in the Lehigh Valley
have one or more significant problems including overcrowding, substandard or non-functioning
plumbing or repair costs that are beyond the ability of the occupants to maintain.
At its most extreme level, the housing challenges in the Lehigh Valley manifest in individuals
utilizing shelters (when available) for their housing needs or ultimately becoming homeless.
According to the Third Street Alliance in Easton, there were over 500 households waiting for shelter
space or housing to open up during 2017, with over 1,300 individuals homeless during the same
period of time.
THE SPARK GRANTS FOR FOOD AND HOUSING ACCESS
The food insecurity and affordable housing situations in the Lehigh Valley are among the most
significant and difficult challenges that face the community at this time. The situation in these areas
requires significant short-term efforts to feed and house the Valley’s most vulnerable populations
as they seek to meet their immediate needs, while also looking for longer term options to address
the chronic aspects of food and shelter availability in the region. The Spark grants within this realm
were focused mainly on programs that are attempting to meet the tremendous daily needs of Lehigh
Valley residents as they strive to secure food and housing for themselves and their families.
New Bethany Ministries in Bethlehem is among the largest providers of food to
the Lehigh Valley residents struggling with food insecurity, reaching over 6,000
people annually with their services. Like many local social service organizations,
New Bethany is facing capacity limits, and in particular with the size and
capabilities of its physical space. In order to meet the expanding needs for its
food distribution efforts, New Bethany is developing a new pantry. To assist with
this effort, a Spark grant was awarded to this pivotal local organization.
Th eSchool Sisters of Saint Francis in Bethlehem have a
long history of providing assistance to those in need including
those with food needs. Their goals include expanding efforts
to feeding the hungry while caring for the Earth, and building
health communities. A Spark grant was directed to support the Monocacy Farm Project that supplies
fresh fruit and vegetables to area organizations serving the hungry.
While there are important federal and state programs that help provide resources for
individuals with lower income to purchase food, the presence of food deserts often
limits the type of food that can be bought. In particular, fresh produce and healthy
foods may not be accessible to many individuals that receive benefits through
programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). To help
address this situation, a Spark grant was awarded to the Nurture Nature Center in
Easton to expand a program that makes fresh produce and healthy foods available to
customers using SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps).
As noted earlier, there are well over 1,000 individuals in the Lehigh
Valley that are homeless. A complex array of factors contributes
to this situation and thus a variety of options are needed to help
homeless individuals find shelter. The Spark grant offered support to
two local organizations that have focused their attention on specific
groups within the local homeless population. The Valley Youth
House Committee, Inc. in Allentown received funding to expand
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